Becker's Hospital Review

76 Sign up for the COMPLIMENTARY Becker's Hospital Review CEO Report & CFO Report E-Weeklies at www.BeckersHospitalReview.com or call (800) 417-2035 50 of the Greenest Hospitals in America By Bob Herman But as hospitals, physician groups and other healthcare organizations integrate their care, they have started to adopt that philosophy in a broader context. Carbon emissions, medical waste, water consumption, unhealthy food, fossil fuels and climate change have become common vocabulary for many hospitals and health systems across the country because healthcare leaders are aware their organizations play a major role in the health of their surrounding population. Figures from the Department of Energy, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Energy Information Administration show hospitals and other healthcare facilities are among the most energy-intensive structures in the country, cumulatively spending almost $8 billion per year on energy alone. However, many forward-thinking organizations have put ecological health, green initiatives and environmental stewardship as foundational pieces of their mission — some for as long as two decades. The following 50 hospitals are among the greenest healthcare organizations in the country. They lead by example through mass-scale and local carbon-cutting efforts, and they also demonstrate how environmental sustainability is everyone's responsibility. To develop this list, the Becker's Hospital Review team conducted research and analyzed sustainability information from sources such as Health Care Without Harm, Practice Greenhealth, Healthier Hospitals Initiative, the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program, the Environmental Protection Agency and other healthcare sustainability organizations and experts. Note: Only acute-care hospitals open on or before Jan. 1, 2013, were considered. This list is not an endorsement of included hospitals or associated healthcare providers. The following content should be used for informational purposes only. Hospitals cannot pay to be included on this list and are presented in alphabetical order. Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital (Downers Grove, Ill.). Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital, part of Downers Grove-based Advocate Health Care, has consistently been a leader in environmental sustainability for the past decade. A Practice Greenhealth Environmental Leadership Circle member, Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital recycles more than 25 percent of its total waste, has established pollution prevention programs and is a top hospital for eliminating mercury within its supplies. 50 50 of the Greenest Hospitals in America Primum non nocere — the phrase is common among physicians, meaning "First, do no harm" in Latin. Anne Arundel Medical Center (Annapolis, Md.). In April 2011, Anne Arundel Medical Center opened its new patient tower, which received LEED Gold certification, the only acute-care hospital in Maryland to do so. The USGBC highlighted the hospital for its innovative waste reduction, energy conservation, water savings and recycled steel beams and columns, among other environmental features. Anne Arundel Medical Center also received the Maryland Trailblazer Award in 2010 from Maryland Hospitals for a Healthy Environment for its commitment to pollution prevention, sustainable healthcare practices and general environmental leadership in its community. Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak (Mich.). The 1,070bed Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak is the flagship tertiary facility of Beaumont Health System. Recently named a "Michigan Green Leader" by the Detroit Free Press, Beaumont has become a leader in sustainability efforts while saving money. Beaumont's efforts are led through its green team, which includes 225 sustainability leaders and officers who devise cost-effective solutions to reduce waste and conserve energy. Beaumont has also created "kaizen" teams, which are employeeled groups that meet monthly to find ways to reduce energy and water consumption. Borgess Medical Center (Kalamazoo, Mich.). Sustainability is rooted in the history of the 422-bed Borgess Medical Center, flagship of Borgess Health and part of St. Louis-based Ascension Health. In 1889, the Sisters of St. Joseph reused a mansion to house patients, creating Kalamazoo's first hospital in the process. In April 2012, Borgess Medical Center stepped up its efforts to encourage new forms of local transportation, becoming the first hospital in Michigan to offer electric vehicle charging stations. Boulder (Colo.) Community Foothills Hospital. Opened in September 2003, the 60-bed Boulder Community Foothills Hospital set the bar for green hospitals, as it was the first hospital in the United States to earn the USGBC's LEED certification. The hospital has consistently received awards and accolades from local and federal government organizations, including an award from the Colorado Environmental Leadership Program. Bronson Methodist Hospital (Kalamazoo, Mich.). Bronson Methodist Hospital's environmentally friendly strategies were ahead of the curve in the mid-1990s. The hospital focused on four key areas — pollution prevention, energy conservation, green building design and sustainable food sourcing — and it made significant headway in each. Bronson Methodist Hospital was the first Michigan hospital to sign the Healthy Food in Health Care Pledge and implement a Styrofoam recycling program. Cleveland Clinic. In December 2011, Cleveland Clinic President and CEO Toby Cosgrove, MD, announced the renowned academic medical center would be a leader in green practices and reduce energy use by 20 percent by 2020. Cleveland Clinic's green initiatives blossomed in 2007, when it created its own Office for a Healthy Environment, which focuses on the organization's impact on the regional environment and climate change at large. In 2008, Cleveland Clinic also became the first U.S. healthcare provider to sign the United Nations Global Compact, which encourages businesses to align their strategies with socially and environmentally responsible principles.

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